Fall Crawl 2004 was officially over early Sunday morning, Aug. 29, as the last of the street sweepers we hired made one last run up the alley just north of Sixth Street. And, save for a few long lines and slow-going foot traffic on the street later in the evening, our 11th installment in the Alibi Crawl series was a major success, just as all previous Crawls have been. Thanks, as always, to the bands who participated, the crew who worked their asses off, the City of Albuquerque, Mayor Martin Chavez, Downtown Action Team, Albuquerque Police and Fire Departments and all the participating venues, restaurants, retailers and local media who covered the event. The brainstorming effort to make next year's Alibi Spring Crawl (Saturday, April 23, 2005) bigger and better than ever is already underway, and we'd especially like to hear from the bands, venues and attendees and everyone else who participated or observed last weekend's event so we can work your ideas into the Crawls. Send constructive criticism (save the sixth-grade nastiness for RockSquawk.com), questions and suggestions to Yours Truly at rockstar@alibi.com. Thanks again to everyone who worked so hard to make Alibi Fall Crawl 2004 a success. Those of you who worked hard and failed to undermine the event ... well, suffice to say, we know who you are, and you are the enemy of music fans everywhere. ... For those who don't already have tickets, the fabulous John Hiatt will appear Friday, Sept. 3, at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe (211 West San Francisco Street) at 7:30 p.m. The super-fabulous David Lindley will open the show. Call (505) 988-1234 to order tickets right now!

with Oktober People, Soular and Love Overdose

By Michael Henningsen

Friday, Sept. 3; Launchpad (21 and over, 9 p.m.): The local music scene conspiracy theorists among us will no doubt take issue with the fact that I've chosen to preview simple.'s CD release party being that bassist Joe Anderson happens to be a close friend and someone I've spent the past 11 years working closely with, but I don't really care. The plain fact of the matter at hand is that simple. have created a sound that's unique among local bands—mystifyingly huge and beautifully ambient at once—and a debut record that stands tall alongside any other released by a local band this year. Lyrically, the songs can be somewhat daunting, but there are few bands in town that can match simple.'s masterful use of swirling, dueling guitars juxtaposed against orgasmic grooves. Oktober People are one of them, and you get to see them tonight, too.